When Band Members Get Fired

[westen44]

My exposure to Evanescence's music goes back to their first two albums.  I was especially interested in the second album--The Open Door.  I learned the bass to that and was going to teach it to a friend's roommate who was trying to learn bass.  However, once we started, he said he wanted to learn to play like Mike Mills.  I told him I could teach him stuff like Losing My Religion, but there was no way I could teach anyone how to play bass like Mike Mills.  So we didn't get too far.  I didn't really care very much because I was only doing this for a friend who was always asking way too much from me. 

As for Evanescence, when I heard their next album, their 2011 album, that didn't get my attention at all.  I thought is was pretty uninteresting compared to the first two albums.  I didn't keep up with Evanescence's music at all through the years.  I had heard they got a female guitarist, but I barely knew anything about her.

Flash forward to the present day.  Recently, I found out that that female guitarist Jen Majura got fired from the band for no apparent reason.  It all struck me as very odd since no one would provide any details.  I read about it, I watched videos and especially over the past week I've watched a lot of Jen's videos.  Besides playing guitar, she also sings in what mostly look like side projects with Jen doing vocals to cover songs.

My reaction to all of this is I think Jen got a raw deal.  She was packing and getting ready for their next tour which started in two weeks.  She got a call from management which told her she was being kicked out of the band.  Evanescence has not provided any reasons.  Except Amy Lee has commented that "Sometimes you just have to listen to the universe."

The bassist is switching to lead guitar, effectively being the one who directly replaces Jen.  He is being replaced by Emma Anzai, bassist for Sick Puppies.  This part I can understand.  Emma is good.  But Jen is also good on lead guitar.  She shouldn't have to leave.  Something is definitely rotten in the state of Denmark and nobody is talking.

[uwe]

Whenever a bassist moves on down to guitar, it improves the median IQ in both instrumentalist groups. It's all positive.

[westen44]

I would have to say there is no better time than now not to be listening to Evanescence. 

[uwe]

Wasn't that a band for depressive and self-mutilating female teenagers in the first place?

(ducking ...)

[westen44]

The early themes of the band had some dark roots.  Besides the fact that in the early stages Ben Moody and Amy Lee wrote some depressing songs, there were other elements, too.  The original drummer Rocky Gray had been in several fairly well-known metal bands.  One of those bands was Living Sacrifice which was a Christian death metal band.  One of Living Sacrifice's songs was "My Tourniquet."  This was a song about a Christian committing suicide.  Evanescence took the song and covered it on their first album "Fallen."  Despite being pretty depressing, the music sounds good, IMO.  Seriously, though, I wouldn't recommend this song to anyone who is actually depressed.  This video has Rocky Gray on it and it's my understanding that he is the one mostly responsible for the lyrics. 

[doombass]

If there's no obvious reason presented I bet it's all about money.

[uwe]

I say cry "wimmin'!, wim-min'!!!" - they never get along and if they don't they like to separate real quick. 

IMHUBO* of course.

*in my humble unbiased opinion

[Alanko]

Seemingly Jen Majura was slipping confidential information into private discussions with fan pages. This includes details of a delay to their tour which hadn't been made public, as well as a claim Amy had some sort of mental health episode (Jen possibly misspoke on this).

[westen44]

Seemingly Jen Majura was slipping confidential information into private discussions with fan pages. This includes details of a delay to their tour which hadn't been made public, as well as a claim Amy had some sort of mental health episode (Jen possibly misspoke on this).

I've heard about all that, although I would consider at least part of that to be rumors.  Even if all of that is true, abruptly firing Jen right before a tour by management over the phone doesn't seem very classy.  Also, I'm puzzled by a few more things in this situation, but I'm trying to hold my tongue.  I will say, however, that possibly saying Amy might be having a nervous breakdown or whatever was not a very good thing to be saying at all.  That same thing could have been said about many people during the pandemic.  If these rumors are true, that is the one that was the worst mistake.  "Loose lips sink ships" seems to be something Jen Majura may be unfamiliar with.  Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure there is way more to this story than people know about.

[westen44]

This is Evanescence's new bassist Emma Anzai.

[uwe]

It sometimes doesn't take that much at all. Vivian Campbell was dismissed/handed in his papers from the line up that toured Whitesnake's 1987 album when Coverdale revealed to him that he could no longer take his girlfriend with him on tour as she did not get along with Ms Tawny Kitaen - Tawny wanted it that way (all Whitesnake members then had their girlfriends/wives with them, they formed the entourage around Ms Kitaen, but she demanded the Jag hoods for herself).



That's how personnel decisions in a tens-of-millions-of-bucks-touring-enterprise (like Whitesnake then undoubtely was) were taken. The mind boggles. Sharon O is everywhere. And Campbell was certainly more of a Whitesnake guitarist in style than Steve Vai ever could be. Never mind, he did alright with the hearing impaired spotted ones later on.

[uwe]

"I will say, however, that possibly saying Amy might be having a nervous breakdown or whatever was not a very good thing to be saying at all."

And I always thought that having a mental or emotional condition was, well, if not exactly a conditio sine qua non, then at least helpful for either playing in or liking Evanescence!



I guess you could say that Jen's stint with the band was ... now how shall I put this ... of evanescent nature?

[westen44]

Yes, maybe Jen Majura is just too normal and well-balanced. 

[uwe]

  Admit it, Michael, you just have a crush on my countrywoman and want to "white-knight-in-shining-armor" a little! 


But I'm selfless when it comes to providing happiness to my fellow forum members: In case you want to make appropriate inroads with your future in-laws, you should perhaps acquaint yourself with the work of her dad first, he plays the Gibson Les Paul bass in this Neue Deutsche Welle hit fron 1982 (Jen was born a year later).



I'm Still Standing has interesting chord changes, never underestimate Sir Elton!

Jen should in the meantime apply with these guys here, they're much more life affirming than Evanescence! The line up you see here has split, only Dutch band leaderess Sonia 'Anubis' Nussfelder (the ome with the zebra/tiger stripe top, the white Jackson and playing slide at the beginning plus the long solo in the middle) and the bassist plus a new (this time: female) singer are at the core - a permanent drummeress and a second lead guitaristress are still being looked for.

[Basvarken]

And Campbell was certainly more of a Whitesnake guitarist in style than Steve Vai ever could be. Never mind, he did alright with the hearing impaired spotted ones later on.

Don't forget Riverdogs!
One of my favorite bands of the nineties. With dear friend Rob Lamothe.